Interesting question, Martyn, as you’re asking for ‘classified’ information on an open, public forum. I doubt you’ll get it as those ‘in the know’ all have NDAs signed with BA and/or any designer, seat manufacturer or lawyer involved in the process. It isn’t worth their jobs, houses and assets to share commercially confidential information in this way, thus I can only assume you’ll get lots of speculation, aspiration and <thoughts> but little fact.

Martyn, I’m always hopeful but I own a large hat and I will eat it publicly if:
1. BA put a new Club World seat on all their aircraft, and/or
2. Any new Club World seat is as comfortable as the business seat of other airlines.

*I am not holding my breath
*Meanwhile I keep glancing out of the window looking for pigs flying past

I was at a presentation where AC did a Q&A towards the end of last year. When asked on the new seat he said the following:
– It’s more likely BA will go for a modified off the shelf version than the original plan of a patented version.
– It will provide direct aisle access to all seats (which I guess rules out at least one Vantage design (that MH and several other airlines use).
– that avoiding the ‘UA Polaris trap’ is imperative. He explained what he meant was that launching a new product in a haze of fanfare and months later only one or two of a hundred plus long haul aircraft have the seats installed.

– that avoiding the ‘UA Polaris trap’ is imperative. He explained what he meant was that launching a new product in a haze of fanfare and months later only one or two of a hundred plus long haul aircraft have the seats installed.

Two new designs were patented a year ago and they were considered for the A350, and reports have said a BA version of the EK business seat “with less bling” being off the shelf may be chosen.
StephenLondon is right, for now it maybe confidential?

This saga is starting to resemble “the new London runway”: years of talk and speculation resulting in… Actually, I’m starting to think that we could have Parliamentary approval sooner on the former than the latter prospect of a new CW seat. Besides, AC seemed rather more interested in onboard connectivity than in any new hard product.

BA have had some great ideas in the past. Personally I think it is a shame they didn’t develop this idea, which showed true inventiveness and ‘outside-the-box’ thinking.

Unfortunately, it seems that BA’s days of true innovation are over – and I am not just carping here, I really do feel that the flag carrier of the nation that has brought more innovative travel ideas to the world than any other could do better (sigh).

I have been involved in airline research programmes before (including at the top end a new J seat and, most recently and trivially, an amenity kit) and it is absolutely true that NDAs are produced. Even for the amenity kit.